ADA Compliance: What it is, Who it Benefits and Why Bloggers Need to Do it with Nina Clapperton

ByHannah Clark

Sharing is caring!

SHOW NOTES: Episode 132

Is your blog ADA compliant?

We welcomed Nina Clapperton, SEO expert and travel blogger, back on to share more about the critical importance of website accessibility.

Nina Clapperton’s journey into the world of accessibility began when she realized her blind grandmother couldn’t fully experience her travel blog. This personal revelation highlighted a broader issue: 97% of websites are not accessible to people with disabilities, and 71% of disabled individuals will leave a website if it’s not accessible. Nina’s mission is to change these statistics by educating bloggers on the importance of accessibility.

Why Accessibility Matters

User Experience

Accessible blogs provide a better user experience for everyone, not just those with disabilities. This includes users with poor Wi-Fi connections, different learning styles, and temporary impairments.

SEO Benefits

Google relies on alt text for image recognition, and accessible websites are more likely to rank higher in search results.

Legal Compliance

Many countries have laws requiring websites to be accessible, and non-compliance can result in legal consequences.

Practical Tips for Improving Website Accessibility

Nina shared several practical tips for making websites more accessible. These tips are not only easy to implement but also significantly enhance the user experience for all visitors.

1. Use Alternative Text (Alt Text) for Images

Alt text is crucial for making images accessible to screen readers. It provides a textual description of the image, allowing visually impaired users to understand the content.

Best Practices for Alt Text:

  • Be descriptive but concise.
  • Avoid keyword stuffing.
  • Ensure the alt text conveys the purpose of the image.

2. Implement Voiceover Features

Voiceover features on devices like Mac can help users with visual impairments navigate your website.

How to Enable Voiceover:

  • On Mac, go to System Preferences > Accessibility > VoiceOver.
  • Test your website using VoiceOver to ensure all elements are accessible.

3. Consider Color Contrast and Gradients

Color contrast is essential for users with visual impairments, including color blindness and epilepsy.

Tools for Checking Color Contrast:

  • WebAIM Contrast Checker: This tool helps you ensure your text and background colors have sufficient contrast.
  • Color Safe: Generates color palettes that meet WCAG guidelines.

4. Provide Captions and Transcripts for Videos

Videos should be accessible to users with hearing impairments. Captions and transcripts are essential for this purpose.

Using YouTube for Captions:

  • Upload your video to YouTube and use its automatic captioning feature.
  • Edit the captions for accuracy.
  • Embed the YouTube video on your website with captions enabled.

5. Use Clear and Distinct Markers for Interactive Text

Interactive elements like links and buttons should be easily distinguishable, especially for colorblind and grayscale users.

Best Practices:

  • Use underlines for links.
  • Ensure buttons have a distinct shape and color.
  • Provide clear hover states for interactive elements.

6. Test Your Website’s Accessibility

Regular testing is crucial to ensure your website remains accessible.

Recommended Tools:

  • WAVE Accessibility Checker: Analyzes your website for accessibility issues.
  • Hemingway App: Helps improve the readability of your content.
  • Axe Accessibility Checker: A browser extension for testing accessibility.

7. Be Open to Feedback

Feedback from users with disabilities is invaluable for improving your website’s accessibility.

How to Gather Feedback:

  •  Include an accessibility statement on your website with contact information.
  • Join accessibility groups and forums to seek advice and feedback.

Nina also introduced the “spoon theory” to explain the limited energy individuals with disabilities have for navigating websites, advocating for inclusive design.

This episode was so impactful and one that every blogger needs to take a listen to!

We would love to hear what you thought about this episode! Send us a DM over on Instagram: @sparkmediaconcepts and let us know!

IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVERED:

  • Importance of website accessibility
  • Personal experiences with disabilities and tools for accessing websites
  • Recommendations for making websites more accessible
  • Use of alternative text (alt text) for images
  • Tools for accessibility such as voiceover features, color scales, and Chrome extensions
  • The “spoon theory” and limited energy for navigating websites
  • Making videos accessible with captions and transcripts
  • Importance of clear and distinct markers for interactive text
  • Practical tips for improving website accessibility
  • The impact on user engagement to not have an accessible website

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

MORE ABOUT THE ULTIMATE BLOG PODCAST:

Welcome to The Ultimate Blog Podcast! This podcast is for you if you’ve ever wanted to learn blogging basics so that you can start your own blog or if you have been a blogger for years but are struggling to grow or need inspiration and community.

Every Tuesday we will be sharing a new episode where we will cover topics from the basics of starting a blog, monetizing and growing your site, to finding the inspiration you need to keep going. You will also find guest interviews with experts on different blogging topics as well as interviews with bloggers who’ve been in your shoes.

Amy Reinecke and Jennifer Draper are bloggers themselves who want to encourage you to believe in your potential, step outside the norm and step into a life where you create your own schedule, your own success and your own story.

We’d love to connect with you on our other platforms so please visit us at www.sparkmediaconcepts.com or follow us on Instagram at @sparkmediaconcepts

This post contains affiliate links. That means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, the hosts or guests of this podcast will receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *